Ralph Berndt

Ralph Berndt, age 78, of Alton Township, died peacefully on Thursday, August 21, 2014 at the Oaklawn Health Care Center in Mankato following a recent illness.

Funeral services will be held on Monday, August 25, 2014 at 11:00 a.m. at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Janesville, with Reverend Dr. Larry Griffin and Pastor Paul Muther officiating. Interment will be held at the St. John's-Trinity Lutheran Cemetery in Iosco Township, Waseca County.

Visitation will be held at the Arnoldt-McRaith Funeral Home & Crematory of Janesville on Sunday from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. and for one hour prior to services at the church on Monday morning.

Ralph Kendall, the son of Ferdinand and Virginia (Davis) Berndt, was born on June 10, 1936 in Spooner, Wisconsin. He attended country school in Wisconsin for a short time before his family moved to rural Waseca where he attended country school in Otisco Township. On July 1, 1954, he was united in marriage to Donna Mae Lang at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in St. Clair. Ralph began his life-long career at Bird's Eye Foods in Waseca where he worked various jobs, mostly in the maintenance department. Outside of working at Bird's Eye, Ralph had the garbage route in Janesville for many years as well. He loved fishing, traveling, summer camping in Red Wing, wintering in Weslaco, Texas for the last sixteen years, playing cards, visiting with family and friends, watching his grandson race stock car, and most of all, collecting his John Deere items.

He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Donna Mae Berndt of Alton Township; his children, Susan (Larry) Tiede of Waseca, Mary (Allen) Gerdts of Janesville, Kathleen (Dana) Schnepf of North Mankato, and Ralph Berndt Jr. of Waseca; his eleven grandchildren, Jeremy Ziemke, Jon (Ashley) Ziemke, Jennifer Ziemke, Nate (Melissa) Gerdts, Angela (Josh) Ristau, Brad Gerdts, Brandon Schnepf, Ben (special friend, Amanda Danberry) Schnepf, Madison, Hannah, and Natalie Berndt; his thirteen great grandchildren; his sister, Irene Lau of Waseca; his sisters-in-law, Yvonne (Charles) Wolff of Janesville, Pat Linde of St. Clair, and Barb Hanneman of Owatonna; and by many, nieces, nephews, other relatives, and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his brother, Kendall in infancy; and by his brothers-in-law, Donald Lau, Eugene Linde, and Clarence Hanneman.